Future Victoria: A floating sauna in the Yarra? The plan to get us swimming in the river

A critical key step to encouraging Melburnians to become regular swimmers in the Yarra River may be the installation of a floating sauna and adjoining plunge pool in the city stretch of the waterway.

Yarra Yabbies founder Carolyn Tate and other members of the Yabbies at the Deep Rock swimming hole. Picture: David Caird

A critical key step to encouraging Melburnians to become regular swimmers in the Yarra River may be the installation of a floating sauna and adjoining plunge pool in the city stretch of the waterway.

Regen Melbourne, alongside a large alliance of groups, is pushing for more swimming in the Yarra River through the Swimmable Birrarung project.

Lead convener for the Swimmable Birrarung project, Charity Mosienyane, said there was strongly growing interest among Melburnians about swimming in the Yarra.

“It’s now not that far-fetched, particularly if we started off by having a floating sauna in the city stretch of the river,” she said.

“Could we have a boat anchored in the city area where you could have a sauna and a plunge pool in the river?”

Tom Statham, Yasmina Dkhissi and Charity Mosienyane enjoy the tranquil cool water of the Yarra River at Deep Rock swimming hole. Picture: David Caird

Ms Mosienyane said more planning and environmental work needed to be done before it was a reality but any actions to encourage more people to swim in the Yarra River would deliver big benefits to the health of the waterway.

“We want the entire river to be healthy and thriving again,” she said.

“And if we get more people to swim in the river, really immerse themselves in the river, we can build that momentum. We need community support, government support and support from the business community to make this happen.”

Ms Mosienyane said with the growing interest in making the river swimmable, now was the time to develop a masterplan to make sure it happens.

A key step to encouraging Melburnians to become regular swimmers in the Yarra River may be the installation of a floating sauna and adjoining plunge pool in the city stretch of the waterway. Picture: David Caird

“We are now at a stage where people are not laughing in our faces when we talk about swimming in the Birrarung – people are genuinely interested,” she said.

“We want to open up more swimming locations (in the river).

Ms Mosienyane said NSW authorities had created a goal for there to be 16 swimming sites in the Parramatta River in future years.

“Come on Melbourne, Sydney can’t be allowed to beat us on this,” she said.

Yarra Yabbies member Carolyn Tate said she started swimming in the river during the Covid lockdowns of 2021.

“I really developed this incredible love for the river,” she said.

“I had walked along it for so long but by swimming gin it, I was able to see the river with new eyes.

“The first day I swam (in the river) it was 8C, in the middle of August.

“I felt like I was a buzzy lobster. I got out all red and tingling.”

Ms Tate said encouraging more people to swim in the Yarra would help “the community to rally around and come together to improve the river’s health”.